Executive Summary
In the shadow of poaching’s brutal legacy, where rhino horns—valued falsely as aphrodisiacs and status symbols—drive species toward extinction, Haider Khan’s Dehorned Royals series confronts the vulnerability of these prehistoric giants. Captured in controlled sanctuaries, his images of hornless African and Asian rhinos evoke a poignant irony: kings stripped of thrones, yet defiantly alive. Khan’s 2024 Sony World Photography Awards runner-up entry, King Without a Throne, amplified global calls for conservation, fueling his ongoing campaigns at NoiréBlanc Films LLP to educate and mobilise against rhino slaughter.
The Rhino Crisis:
Rhinos, ancient survivors of 50 million years, face existential threats: Over 7,000 African rhinos have been poached since 2006 (per WWF data), with Asian species like the greater one-horned rhino clinging to fewer than 4,000 individuals in India and Nepal. Dehorning—surgically removing horns for protection—saves lives but symbolises the absurdity of human greed. Zoos like Munich and Alipore serve as arks, breeding and safeguarding these icons amid shrinking wild habitats ravaged by habitat loss and illegal trade.
Sanctuary Portraits
Khan’s journey began in 2023 at Munich Zoo, Germany, where he documented a majestic African rhino, its horn freshly sawn to deter poachers. The image’s stark composition, with fog-veiled bars blurring captivity’s edge, humanises the beast’s quiet dignity.
Months later, in Kolkata’s historic Alipore Zoo, Khan turned to Asia’s survivor: an Indian rhinoceros, dehorned for safety in its humid, monsoon-lashed paddock. The shoot, under relentless rains, framed the rhino’s mud-caked bulk against colonial-era iron rails, its truncated horn a ghostly silhouette.
These zoo-bound shoots, far from the savanna or Gangetic floodplains, underscore a grim reality: Protection demands confinement, turning icons of freedom into exhibits.
Award and Awareness Ignition:
King Without a Throne, a Munich rhino portrait that clinched 2nd place in the 2024 Sony World Photography Awards (Wildlife & Nature category), drawing 1M+ views and media buzz from BBC Wildlife to The Guardian. The win spotlighted dehorning’s double-edged sword—life-saving yet dignity-eroding—sparking debates on ethical conservation.
Endless Advocacy:
Through NoiréBlanc Films, Khan channels this momentum into multimedia campaigns: Short docs, AR filters simulating rhino tracking for schools, and partnerships anti-poaching PSAs. Donations from award proceeds funded horn-tracking tech in sanctuaries, while his Instagram reels (@HaiderKhanMe) reach 500K followers, blending artistry with activism. “These aren’t just photos,” Khan asserts. “They’re pleas from the dehorned—reminders that without us, their throne crumbles forever.”
Thrones Reclaimed:
Dehorned Royals transforms tragedy into testimony, proving photography’s power to rally for rhinos. As Khan’s team works tirelessly—scouting wild herds, lobbying policymakers—the series vows: No king should kneel to extinction. Join the charge at noireblancfilms.com/savearhino.Partners: Sony World Photography Awards, WWF, Alipore Zoo Conservation Fund.
